Closing device for containers for the transport of goods

ABSTRACT

A closing device for goods container doors in which the locking is done by means of two catches placed at the ends of motion shafts mounted on the door itself, and characterized by the fact that it consists of a channel piece which covers, at least in part, the catch motion shaft, protecting this shaft and reinforcing the container door, and being provided with units to support and guide the shaft.

1 United States Patent l 13,627,366

[72] Inventor Piero Cerutti 1,100,820 6/1914 Edwards 292/218 Sesto Caiende Via Sempione 37, Verese, 1.500.169 7/1924 Wa1ker..... 292/218 Italy 1,729,039 9/1929 French 49/395 X [21] Appl. No. 857,329 1,760,173 5/1930 Schulz 49/367 [22] Filed Sept. 12,1969 2,944,303 7/1960 Uphues 292/218 X [45] Patented Dec. 14, 1971 3,434,751 3/1969 Tantlinger et a1 292/218 Primary Examiner- Richard E. Moore 54 CLOSING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS FOR THE endemn Farah TRANSPORT OF GOODS 4 Claims. 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. C1 292/218 llll- Cl E059 3/04 ABSTRACT: A closing device for goods container doors in [50] Field of Search 292/218. which the locking is done by means f two catches p|aced a! 337, 36,21;49/210,218.219, 22 394 the ends of motion shafts mounted on the door itself, and characterized by the fact that it consists of a channel piece [56] References Cited which covers, at least in part, the catch motion shaft, protect- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing this shaft and reinforcing the container door, and being 297,262 4/1884 Humphreys 292/218 provided with units to support and guide the shaft.

PATENIED DEC 1 4 mm sum 1 n? 2 II III |||l INVENTOR ATTOR N liY PATENTEDUECMIQYI 3527,3 55

' sum 2 o 2 CLOSING DEVICE FOR CONTAINERS FOR THE TRANSPORT OF GOODS The present invention concerns a closing device for goods containers, generally known simply as containers."

As is well known such containers are used for the transport of goods, above all on long hauls during which the container may be passed from one means of transport to another after being collected in appropriate depots. For this reason containers may easily be subjected to rough handling and their weakest point has always been their closing devices.

In containers of this type the door consists of two halves, each having appropriate upper and lower closing devices operated in pairs by a vertical shaft.

These motion shafts are practically uncovered and are therefore subjected to knocks and blows, particularly during the transfer of the container from one means of transport to another. Such knocks or blows can cause deformation of the shaft itself, creating difficulty in closing the door. Furthermore container doors of this type are generally provided with reinforcement pieces which are positioned either entirely within the door itself, where they cause obstruction, or externally some distance away from the closing devices.

The purpose of this invention is to supply a closing device of the type mentioned above but without its drawbacks. This is principally achieved in the present invention by the fact that the reinforcing piece, apart from its function of reinforcing the door itself, has also that of giving adequate protection to the motion shaft of the device. The device is distinguished by the fact that it contains at least one channel section unit that covers the motion shaft at least in part and has also elements which support and guide the said motion shaft.

The characteristics and advantages of the closing device represented by this invention may be better understood by referring to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a front view of the part of a container door with the closing device, which forms the invention, fitted.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the whole door with the closing device fitted.

FIG. 3 shows a cross section at line 33 in FIGS. 1 and 5.

FIG. 4 shows a cross section at line 44 in FIGS. 1 and 5.

FIG. 5 shows a transparent view of the upper part of the closing device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 shows a vertical section along line 6-6 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a cross section along line 77 in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the same.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the shaft, which is designed to work in it, inserted.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the upper countershaft.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the lower shaft.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it can be seen that the door of a container of this type is constituted essentially of two halves 1 and 2, hinged horizontally at the angle irons 3 and 4 of such a container, shown in part. Each half has one or more closing devices, each consisting of a pair of locks 5 and 6, fitted respectively at each end of a motion shaft or tube 7 in all the drawings.

Each motion shaft is guided and supported in its rotation by appropriate sleeves at its ends and by intennediate supports as will be detailed later. A handle 9 enables the motion shaft to be rotated along its length to open and close the catches 5 and 6 while a channel piece 10 with omega" cross section, as shown in FIG. 7, serves to hold and protect the whole motion shaft and at the same time reinforces and rigidifies the half door.

As may be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, the end sleeves which guide and support the motion shaft 7 consist of two half sleeves 11 and 12 appropriately assembled, e.g., by welding, inside the protective channel piece 10 as shown clearly in FIG. 7. Four half sleeves of self-lubricating plastic, nylon for example, shown respectively at 13 and 14 in FIG. 6, are fitted between the shaft and the steel end sleeves to provide an antifriction bearing. As is shown in FIG. 6, each end sleeve has a length of larger diameter 12 to form a circular chamber 12 around motion shaft 7 into which chamber 12' may be introduced an appropriate means of greasing the shaft. A thrust bearing, 15 in FIG. 6, is fitted to motion shaft 7 and against this is fitted the end sleeve to eliminate end movement of the above-mentioned shaft.

FIG. 3 shows a section of an intermediate support. Each sleeve consists of two half sleeves 16 and 17, welded to the protective channel piece 10, which completely surround the motion shaft 7, incorporating a plastic bushing 18, identical with those at 13 and 14 shown previously.

As can be seen in FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, bushings 18, 13 and 14 are held in sleeves l6 and 17 or in end sleeves l1 and 12 by tongues 20 which are inserted in appropriate holes made in the sleeves and end sleeves.

As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the protective channel piece 10 has an aperture 21 towards its lower end out of which protrudes the handle 9 which rotates the motion shaft. Because at this point 21 the channel piece is weakened, a strengthening piece, 19 in FIG. 4, is welded or fixed in some other way to it 10.

As can be seen from the attached drawings, the essential characteristic of the invention lies in having the motion shaft or bar 7 which closes the door of the container, fitted inside a channel piece 10 which reinforces the door and to which are assembled sleeves l l and 12 which support and guide the motion shaft. With the protective and reinforcing device which forms the invention, the shaft is completely protected and the exterior of the door itself is cleaner because the motion shaft and the reinforcing piece are coaxial and occupy the same position.

A different form of the same device is shown in FIGS. 8 through 11, in which the channel piece, designed to eliminate possible flexing of the shaft due to the forces to which the shaft may be subjected when closed, does not cover the motion shaft along its whole length but only in part, still performing however the functions of guiding and protecting shaft 7 and of reinforcing the door of the container.

More precisely, this variant is characterized by the fact that it consists of the combination of a half-round sleeve 111 which may be fitted to the object on which the device is to function, and a counter sleeve of which a part is half-round assembled to the sleeve and surrounds it, and which is extended in semicylindrical form so as to fasten into the shaft in order to retain it but still permit rotation.

Further reference to these figures shows that the support and bearing assembly for the motion shaft consists of a sleeve 101 which has a central portion in the form of a half-round seating 111 and two flanges 112, each drilled 113 to enable fixing bolts to pass through to mount the sleeve to the object on which it is to be used, e.g., a container door.

The seating 111 has a portion 111a somewhat greater in diameter than the rest.

As may be seen in detail in FIG. 9, the motion shaft 7 is enclosed in the seating 111. This is held in sleeve 101 by the countersleeve 102 which also forms part of the same assembly.

The countersleeve 102 consists of a bridge piece 121 which surrounds the motion shaft 7 and which is extended into a semicircular projecting piece 124 which is held to the seat 111 of sleeve 101, thus retaining the motion shaft while permitting rotation.

The bridge 121 part of the countersleeve 102 has two lateral flanges 122 which are drilled 123 for bolts or similar fastenings to fix the countersleeve 102 to the object on which it is to function, such as a container door. Alternatively these flanges, undrilled, may be welded to the container door.

It should be noted that flanges 122 and 112 must be fitted with their internal edges perfectly in contact.

The device just described will eliminate any flexing in motion shaft 7 due to the forces to which it is subjected.

It should be understood that what has been described and shown in the attached designs is intended only as example, and that other modifications might be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, as specified in the claims hereunder What is claimed is:

l. A closing device for goods container doors in which the locking is done by means of catches placed at the ends of a motion shaft mounted on the door, including a channel piece for the protection and reinforcement of the motion shaft and the door, respectively, which covers, at least in part, the motion shaft and is provided with end-sleeves and intennediate sleeves to support and guide the shaft, said sleeves being fixed rigidly and internally to the channel piece, and plastic bushings being fitted between the motion shaft and the end and intermediate sleeves to protect the shaft from blows in handling. device 2 A device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that each end-sleeve has an intermediate length of greater diameter which forms a cylindrical chamber around said motion shaft into which a greasing device is fitted.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that the channel piece'is provided with an aperture in its lower part out of which projects the motion shaft operating lever.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the face that the plastic bushings incorporate tongues which protrude from their external surfaces and are located in appropriate holes in said sleeves to locate and retain them and prevent their movement.

i I I. ii i 

1. A closing device for goods container doors in which the locking is done by means of catches placed at the ends of a motion shaft mounted on the door, including a channel piece for the protection and reinforcement of the motion shaft and the door, respectively, which covers, at least in part, the motion shaft and is provided with end-sleeves and intermediate sleeves to support and guide the shaft, said sleeves being fixed rigidly and internally to the channel piece, and plastic bushings being fitted between the motion shaft and the end and intermediate sleeves to protect the shaft from blows in handling.
 2. A device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that each end-sleeve has an intermediate length of greater diameter which forms a cylindrical chamber around said motion shaft into which a greasing device is fitted.
 3. A device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that the channel piece is provided with an aperture in its lower part out of which projects the motion shaft operating lever.
 4. A device in accordance with claim 1, characterized by the fact that the plastic bushings incorporate tongues which protrude from their external surfaces and are located in appropriate holes in said sleeves to locate and retain them and prevent their movement. 